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    Cubs-Padres Game Three Thread: Sudden Death Baseball

    It all comes down to this. The Cubs and Padres square off to determine who has the right to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.
    Brandon Glick

    By Brandon Glick

    Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images

    Cubs Video

    Padres pitching dominated Cubs hitters on Wednesday, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 in Chicago. The starters are right-handers Jameson Taillon for Chicago and Yu Darvish for San Diego. In 2025, Taillon posted a 3.68 ERA, and Darvish a 5.38 as an injury-plagued season limited him to only 15 starts. Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) tells a different story, though; Taillon has a 2025 FIP of 5.00, and Darvish has a 4.83 FIP. This game is unlikely to become a pitcher's duel, at least until both teams reach into their respective bullpens.

    Cubs Bullpen Usage
    Game 1 (Tuesday), Chicago’s relief corps delivered 4 2/3 perfect innings behind starter Matthew Boyd. The sequence was Daniel Palencia for 1 2/3, then Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Kittredge, and Brad Keller covering the final three innings. In Game 2 (Wednesday), the Cubs used an opener approach. Andrew Kittredge handled the 1st, followed by Shota Imanaga for bulk innings. After that, lefty Caleb Thielbar, righty Colin Rea, and lefty Taylor Rogers finished it off; their batters faced were Kittredge 5, Imanaga 17, Thielbar 4, Rea 6, Rogers 3.  Kittredge is the only Cubs pitcher to appear in both games so far, and he is likely out for Thursday's game as a result. 

    Padres Bullpen Usage
    Game 1, San Diego followed starter Nick Pivetta with Adrian Morejon, Mason Miller, and Jeremiah Estrada. In Game 2, Dylan Cease started and worked 3 2/3. Adrian Morejon covered 2 1/3 innings and threw 33 pitches, Mason Miller struck out the first five batters he faced and threw 27 pitches, and Robert Suarez recorded a four-out save to close a 3-0 win. It's likely that both Morejon and Miller will be unavailable for Thursday's game, but given the nature of the situation, it might be all hands on deck for Mike Shildt.

    Padres Batters Vs Jameson Taillon

    Jameson Taillon vs. San Diego Padres: Current Batters Table
    Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP
    1 Xander Bogaerts R 28 28 6 3 0 0 2 0 5 .214 .214 .321 .536 0 0 0 0 1
    2 Ryan O'Hearn L 17 16 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 .188 .235 .188 .423 0 0 0 0 1
    3 Martín Maldonado R 16 14 4 1 0 1 1 1 2 .286 .375 .571 .946 0 0 1 1 1
    4 Luis Arráez L 13 13 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .231 .231 .231 .462 0 0 0 0 0
    5 Jose Iglesias R 13 13 7 2 0 1 3 0 1 .538 .538 .923 1.462 0 0 0 0 0
    6 Gavin Sheets L 11 10 3 1 0 0 0 1 3 .300 .364 .400 .764 0 0 0 0 0
    7 Fernando Tatis Jr. R 6 6 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 .333 .333 .833 1.167 0 0 0 0 0
    8 Manny Machado R 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .200 .000 .200 0 0 0 0 0
    9 Jake Cronenworth L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
    10 Freddy Fermin R 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0
    Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
    Generated 10/2/2025.

    Cubs Batters Vs Yu Darvish

    Yu Darvish vs. Chicago Cubs: Current Batters Table
    Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP
    1 Justin Turner R 27 24 5 1 0 1 1 3 10 .208 .296 .375 .671 0 0 0 0 0
    2 Dansby Swanson R 22 19 3 1 0 0 1 3 6 .158 .273 .211 .483 0 0 1 0 0
    3 Ian Happ B 14 13 2 0 0 0 2 1 6 .154 .214 .154 .368 0 0 0 0 0
    4 Nico Hoerner R 11 10 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 .200 .273 .400 .673 0 0 0 0 0
    5 Carson Kelly R 10 10 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 .300 .300 .300 .600 0 0 0 0 0
    6 Kyle Tucker L 6 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .167 .167 .167 .333 0 0 0 0 0
    7 Seiya Suzuki R 5 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 .250 .400 .500 .900 0 0 0 0 0
    8 Michael Busch L 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
    9 Pete Crow-Armstrong L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
    Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
    Generated 10/2/2025.

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    Featured Comments

    Guest

    Guest

    Posted

    Unfortunately we gotta go through their best hitters to get the win from here

    PeanutPunch33

    PeanutPunch33 259

    Posted

    5 minutes ago, Rex Buckingham said:

    Peanut just transcended his body 

    lol

    ILMindState

    ILMindState 288

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

    I will hopefully find it really funny in like 20 minutes that this also didn’t work out

    That took less than 5 minutes 

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,121

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, Max Power said:

    That is why you don’t have your #3 hitter make an out on purpose.

    Exactly

    Jason Ross

    Jason Ross 2,689

    Posted

    Just now, UMFan83 said:

    Do they have to give it to you if you request it?

    I don't think they *have* to, but my guess is that they will ere on the side of caution. Better to review anything close than to refuse it, and then deal with the fallout tomorrow.

    Illiterate Scholar

    Illiterate Scholar 108

    Posted

    Replay did look kinda safe. Nico's reaction makes me question that though 

    Chicago Al

    Chicago Al 65

    Posted

    Tuck couldn’t have hit that any more perfectly to Arraez.

    SpongeWorthy

    SpongeWorthy 384

    Posted

    it’s rigged we got jobbed on both replays 

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,121

    Posted

    9 (who’s been pretty feisty), 1, 2 due up. Big inning (duh)

    Transmogrified Tiger

    Transmogrified Tiger 2,746

    Posted

    From watching Replay Rewind all year there is an epidemic of umps making poor calls at the plate because they don't have the courage to award a run when the ball beats the player even when they get tagged high.  That better not make a difference.

    Stratos

    Stratos 523

    Posted (edited)

    Is it going to be Miller time in the 8th?  Or more morejon?

    Edited by Stratos
    • Like 1
    Tryptamine

    Tryptamine 2,115

    Posted

    That 4th run really would have made me feel so much better about things.

    Hortonhearsawho

    Hortonhearsawho 93

    Posted

    Terrible Ab by Tucker but even worse job by the replay team. 

    Irrelevant Dude

    Irrelevant Dude 1,619

    Posted

    If a call stands because they can't definitely make a determination, the challenging team really shouldn't lose their challenge.

    • Like 1
    Stratos

    Stratos 523

    Posted

    2 innings of Keller.

    Jason Ross

    Jason Ross 2,689

    Posted

    1 minute ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

    From watching Replay Rewind all year there is an epidemic of umps making poor calls at the plate because they don't have the courage to award a run when the ball beats the player even when they get tagged high.  That better not make a difference.

    Not that anyone cares about how deep the "umpires call guys out when the ball beats the runner" conspiracy goes, but it's seemingly trickled all the way down to the depths of the Lexington Adult Baseball scene.

    It's deep.

    *me, still mad about getting tossed at 3rd that one time this year.

    Always Sunny Reaction GIF

    • Haha 1
    squally1313

    squally1313 2,342

    Posted

    Just now, UMFan83 said:

    9 (who’s been pretty feisty), 1, 2 due up. Big inning (duh)

    Yeah don’t know if Keller finishes but this is the spot for him 

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,121

    Posted

    Busch’s ball was hit 107 mph with a 28 degree launch angle and it barely got out. Wild

    squally1313

    squally1313 2,342

    Posted

    This horsefeathers guy

    Tryptamine

    Tryptamine 2,115

    Posted

    Fermin torching the Cubs, the hell is that about?

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,121

    Posted

    Lotta 2 strike hits for the Padres today ugh

    soccer10k

    soccer10k 588

    Posted

    If we could stop giving up hits to their 9 hitter, that would be great.

    chibears55

    chibears55 989

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, Illiterate Scholar said:

    Replay did look kinda safe. Nico's reaction makes me question that though 

    That what I'm thinking as why they didn't overturn it, his reaction made it seem like he got his arm

    PeanutPunch33

    PeanutPunch33 259

    Posted

    horsefeathers vermin yermin playing like prime Miggy 



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